After the loud ovation that greeted the news that Medview airline would commence flights to Dubai, the airline’s management on Monday (January 29, 2018), announced that it has suspended its Dubai operations till March 24, 2018 when its aircraft, B767-300ER, returns from ‘complete refurbishment’ from the United Kingdom.
In the same vein, the airline also told the media that it is not indebted to the authorities at Gatwick, United Kingdom, stating that it recently paid over £1.45 million. In addition they informed that Medview acknowledged that it will pay another £34,000 paid for hotel accommodation for passengers, on behalf of the airline.
Alhaji Muneer Bankole, Managing Director of the airline who addressed the media in Lagos, said the management has also informed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and its passengers. He also assured passengers who already booked their flight to the destination via Medview would be flown to their destinations through what he described as ‘interline arrangements.’
He said the issue which led to passengers’ being stranded recently has to do with the fact that a decision was suddenly taken by Menges, its handling company at Gatwick, adding that it was regrettable that they passed an information to the airline only on approach to London.
He stated, “While we want to put the past behind us, it is imperative to say that we have issues with our European partners over the aircraft we leased from them. From all indications, this aircraft has not be able to meet our requirements in providing the necessary capacity. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has been supportive of our efforts when it dawned on them that the issue has to do with aircraft.
“Consequently, we have taken some measures on our Lagos-London route, which will now be serviced by an alternative aircraft currently in operation, we will also maintain three weekly flights. We have shut down Dubai operations till March when our own aircraft B767-300ER christened ‘Abeke’, returns from complete refurbishment in the UK. Passengers who have booked with us will be flown to their destinations via interline arrangements. We will continue to maintain our Jeddah schedule every Thursday via Kano until the issue of Biometric, which is now a requirement, is resolved.”
